Sons of the Pioneers to carry out in Artesia amongst different Southeast New Mexico cities

Within the annals of music historical past, solely few bands remained true to their music for near 90 years. A kind of bands, the Sons of the Pioneers, return to Southeast New Mexico with one in every of three performances happening in Artesia’s Ocotillo Performing Arts Middle, 310 W. Principal St., Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.

The Grammy Corridor of Fame and Nation Music Corridor of Fame inductees and multi-award winners Son of the Pioneers are the last word in Western/cowboy music, identified for songs akin to “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Cool Water” and “Ghost Riders within the Sky.” The Smithsonian Institute named them as “Nationwide Treasures.”

After all, the unique teams configuration through the years has modified since Leonard Franklin Slye — higher identified underneath his stage identify Roy Rogers — based the band in 1934. The present group’s configuration incorporates Tommy Nallie, Ken Lattimore, Dusty Rogers, John Fullerton, Paul Elliott and Chuck Ervin.

Dusty Rogers is the one son of Roy Rogers. In a telephone interview he talked concerning the band and the upcoming live performance.

Requested about how they fared throughout the pandemic, Rogers stated that, regardless of residing in numerous components of the nation, band members used trendy media to rehearse songs from their latest album, “Crimson River Valley,” launched mid-October.

“Fortunately, we had recorded a variety of the songs off our album,” Rogers stated. “We needed to … do what we might do to study the brand new songs (Skype and FaceTime). The blokes received actually good at listening to what we wished to do and the association we wished and choosing it up, after which after we received collectively at a life live performance, we put it collectively fairly fast. But it surely was fairly bleak for some time right here throughout the pandemic.”

To be a part of a legend because the Sons of the Pioneers brings advantages but in addition has some problems, Rogers stated.

“Being the Sons of the Pioneers, now we have a specific amount of songs. The blokes are liable for no less than 3,000 songs that the blokes have written down. Nevertheless, after we do public concert events, the viewers desires to listen to sure songs. All of them have their Sons of the Pioneers favorites. And in case you don’t play these, they arrive to you after the present and say, ‘How come you didn’t do “Crimson River Valley?” How come you didn’t do that?’ I say, ‘Ma’am, we solely have a three-hour present, we cram every part we are able to in there for you.’ We’re very lucky in the truth that now we have such an enormous historical past and legacy to dwell as much as, however, alternatively, creatively it’s arduous. We wish to keep as true to this Pioneer sound as we are able to and we do. And so, once you attempt to maintain that up, it’s troublesome so as to add new stuff,” Rogers stated.

The world, particularly Roswell, has a particular connection to Dusty Rogers. His father, who nonetheless glided by the identify Slye on the time, got here via Roswell when he met his first spouse, Arline Wilkins. He returned to marry her on June 11, 1936, at her household’s dwelling, after a long-distance romance. Sadly, Dusty Roger’s mom died solely 4 days after giving beginning to her son, however his father and his household shared their tales with him.

“From what I heard from my grandparents and the individuals who knew her, she was a lovely younger woman and liked to do these sort of issues, to arrange events and do these issues,” he stated. “I keep in mind seeing a few footage of her swimming within the native swimming pool and, in fact in these days, they didn’t have pool toys like they’ve at present. It was humorous, as a result of they have been paddling round and floating on whisky barrels. I really like Roswell, all that entire New Mexico space is simply very particular.

“We’re thrilled to demise to be out and operating and coming all the way down to New Mexico shortly, and we’re all wanting ahead getting again within the saddle and doing that. It’s been a sluggish yr, even this yr’s being sluggish, nevertheless it’s been choosing up good,” Rogers stated.

For extra info and tickets, go to artesiaartscouncil.com. For extra details about the band’s tour and different reveals in New Mexico, go to sonsofthepioneers.org.